Like many Westerners with a passion for learning the Japanese language, I have been overwhelmed by the number of Japanese learning courses available on the Net.
But while these courses are great for learners with a huge motivation to learn day-to-day Japanese with the intention of visiting Japan often, they’re downright BORING for antisocial people like me, who get much more pleasure by delving into fantasy worlds than dealing with the real one. Moreover, while there is a myriad of Android games focused on basic Japanese (N5/N4 levels), practically none help you learn the language beyond the N4 level.
So I’ve compiled here a list of really enjoyable games that are playable in Japanese and have allowed me to greatly improve my reading and comprehension skills beyond N4. For these, your reading level should be at least N4+/N3. Otherwise every second word will be new to you and it will cause the gameplay to be very frustrating.
The games themselves require very little in terms of hardware (I played them on my 5-year old laptop). I created this list after a LOT of searching, so enjoy the fruits of my labor 🙂
PS: You can use the Japagram Android app on the side while playing the games, it helps make the reading go much smoother. I adapted the app to provide all the answers I was looking for based on words/expressions I saw in the games. Try it out – it’s free 🙂
Final Fantasy III
A classic, this is one of the only easily downloadable Final Fantasy games that can be played in Japanese.
I started with this game, which is OK for gameplay but feels a bit childish. I do recommend it if it’s your first attempt at gaming in Japanese, since its text is readable at N4+/N3 levels and you’ll want to leave the more exciting games to when your Japanese reading level will make them fun instead of cumbersome.
You can find it for about 10$ on Steam, just make sure to select the Japanese language option.
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI was the last 2D game in the Final Fantasy series, but what it lacks in modern graphics it more than makes up for in themes and storyline. Many consider it to be amongst the best Final Fantasy games in the series.
I recommend playing this game after trying out FFIII and before playing FFVII in Japanese – its text is readable at N4+/N3 levels.
It’s available on Steam but not in Japanese (in Western countries). Luckily, you can play it in Japanese anyway, just download this torrent and follow the instructions: Magnet.
As an added bonus, there’s a fan-built a site with literal translations of the Japanese source text, which can definitely help you learn while letting you enjoying the game to its fullest: https://kwhazit.ucoz.net/trans/ff6/index.html.
Final Fantasy VII
Ah the memories… This legendary and poignant RPG revolutionized the industry when it came out in 1997, to the extent that it saw itself reincarnated in the 2020 Remake. Few games since have reached the levels of storytelling and emotion that FF7 has managed to impart on the 90’s.
One HUGE advantage of the original version over the Remake is that it’s slower-paced (including the combat system) and has simpler dialogue, so it makes for great reading material and lets you learn at your own pace.
You won’t find a Japanese version on Steam, but I have (i.e. I created with sweat and tears) a read-to-play solution for you if you’re comfortable using Torrents. Just use the following link: Magnet.
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
Technically I would have recommended you start with The Witcher 1, but it doesn’t come in Japanese and in any case it’s recommended to skip it and just read its story before delving into The Witcher 2.
Playing The Witcher 2 is the recommended course of action before jumping into The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt – and happily enough they both have Japanese versions!
Granted – The Witcher 2 will not provide you with a fully immersive experience since its dialogue is only in English, but I think this is actually an advantage, since the Japanese text is definitely not for kids!
I’d recommend you play this game when you’re already well into your N3+ reading level, because otherwise you’ll find it hard to read all the long texts (letters, lore, quests), making the game less interesting as you’ll end up reading mostly headlines instead of content (source: trust me).
You find it very decently priced on Steam.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
For a game released in 2015, its reputation has barely waned – so you’re guaranteed to experience an amazing story.
Even so, I’d avoid delving into this game until you’ve more-or-less reached N3+/N2, since the sheer amount of material will overwhelm you.
Again, available on Steam for a decent price.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
I played this game in Japanese after completing it a few times in English, and I can say for certain that while it’s one of the most fascinating games created in the 2010’s, you don’t want to delve into it before reaching N3+/N2 level in Japanese.
Like The Witcher 3, the gameplay is fully immersive (text + audio), making it hard to keep up if your Japanese is not on par. Otherwise, enjoy 🙂
It’s available on Steam at the standard price.
Narcissu
A slow, sentence-by-sentence visual novel with a poignant story.
This game is free on Steam and can be played in English or Japanese. The Japanese reading level is N2+, but the game’s slow pace, where it waits for the user to move forward, coupled with its relaxing background music, make for excellent learning material.